The customary method employed for loading a floating barge with flowable solids, such as sand or aggregate, involves loading personnel on the barge walking from side-to-side of the barge and measuring the distance from water level to a given point on the deck. After making such measurements, the barge personnel signal to an operator of the material delivery chute to divert the chute in relation to the barge so that the material is delivered to the side of the barge opposite from the list to return the barge to a level position. This is a rather slow, inaccurate and uneconomical method which the present invention seeks to correct and eliminate.
To comply with the duty to disclose known prior art under 37 C.F.R. 1.56, prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,302 is made of record herein. This patent discloses a loading means for a hopper craft which operates in response to list of the craft. A weight-operated linkage controls a material distributor which is pivotally mounted on the craft. The system is mechanical and requires the construction of permanent material distributing means on the barge or craft in contrast to the present invention where any standard barge may be loaded without alteration of its conventional structure. Thus, the invention has a far greater range of utility than the prior art and is far more practical and more economical.